Keep Calm and Call On: Pro Tips for Call Center Agents

May 4, 2016

Hint: patience is a virtue for call center agents.

Last week on our blog, we talked about a few common frustrations for call center agents. If you missed out on that post, check it out here to see what we’re talking about. Now that you’re all caught up, let’s take another look at all of those frustrations and see if we can’t come up with some solutions or at least some advice.

The Angry Customer

Alas, there’s not much more to offer here than wishing you all the best with your patience. As a call center agent, you’re the first line of defense for irate and irrational customers who just want to yell. If your script allows you to do so, perhaps some complementary offers may be able to calm the storm. Other than that, it’s best to remember that you most likely aren’t the person that this person is mad at, and they’re just making noise. It’s obviously easier said than done, but try to just let them get their steam out. Here’s an article from Forbes about dealing with angry customers on the phone.

Unless, of course, it is you fault for keeping them on hold for too long. In that case, we have to say: we told you so.

Cleaning Up After Someone Else

This can be another test of patience, but at least one that you can handle without having to keep your — let’s be honest, occasionally fake — customer service smile on. At least when the problem rests inside your own facility or among fellow call center agents, you can calmly, rationally, and professionally address the problem and try to find a solution before it happens again. Here are some tips, again from Forbes, to handle workplace conflict.

The Customer Isn’t Always Right

We’re starting to sense a theme with this patience thing. Many customers, as plenty of call center agents already know, have embraced this customer service mantra to be the truth. That can certainly be frustrating. Last week we mentioned the importance of striking a balance between the “customer is always right” mindset and the “customer is sometimes wrong, too” mindset. You guessed it — Forbes again — with an article called “No, The Customer Is Not Always Right.” (Hey, those guys know what they’re doing.)

Balancing Service and Stats

This one we have the most concrete advice for, and actually advice that we’ve written in this blog not too long ago. Click here and here for parts one and two of our blogging about common mistakes in call center metrics, and here for a post called “Call Center Metrics Aren’t Everything.” We hope you learn a thing or two.

Alright, call center agents. Armed with hopefully a lot of patience and definitely a lot of links to Forbes’ articles, go forth and prosper. We wish you the best of luck in all your calling and answering endeavors.

Get In Touch With TeleRep Today

At TeleRep, we understand how important call center services are to your business. That is why we pride ourselves on our professionalism and customer service training when handling incoming calls. We also specialize in alarm response and data entry as well. Stop making your customers feel under-appreciated with voicemail services; instead, let them know you care through TeleRep and hire a virtual receptionist today.

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